4th June, Tuesday... The Japanese national soccer team, Samurai Japan, played Australia in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier. Japan only needed to draw to qualify, but they had lost the previous match against Jordan and badly wanted to qualify this time.
An unexpected goal from the Australians late in the second half of the match put Japan in a most disadvantageous position. However, Honda put in a penalty kick in injury time and the Samurai equalized in the nick of time to be the first nation to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. This is also the first time Japan has qualifed playing at home.
The exhilaration of the public was at bursting point, and people viewing the match in sports bars around Shibuya (a favourite spot for such national sports event) rushed out to the famous Shibuya Scramble (a pedestrian crossing at the major junction in front of the Shubiya train station) to demonstrate their joyful hysteria. Once the pedestrian light turned green, hordes of people rushed to the centre of the cross road, half drunk with joy or alcohol, dancing and high five-ing with other excited strangers, and then, not caring to clear off the road when the light turned against them, would obstruct the traffic, as had happened in the past. That night too, the areas around the Scramble was soon packed with a happy mob.
This time however, the police were determined that no national exhilaration or celebration would upset public order or traffic, and, in faith that the Samurai would qualify, hundreds of policemen went out to control the fever in Shibuya.
On the amplifier, the police announced to the crowd at the Shibuya Scramble,
"Ladies and gentlemen wearing the national uniform, you are the 12th man of the team and our national team is known for being orderly and well behaved. The police does not want to be angry on such a happy occasion, your stern looking policeman is also rejoicing in his heart at the result of the game,so please demonstrate excellent team work by moving towards the train station."
The police's gentle direction brought smiles to the crowd which then went on to dub him the DJ Police on the internet. The evening ended happily with neither injury nor incident.
